Shopping for auto insurance quotes online is extremely time and cost effective, assuming you know what you are looking for. When doing anything online, it is important to watch out for scams. Here are some tips for how to get reputable car insurance.

There are many different options to consider when shopping for auto insurance quotes. Coverage can fall under basic or standard categories, but what you pick is up to you. Keep reading to find out the differences.

There are many factors that go into your auto insurance quote premium. Age and sex are two that you unfortunately can't control. Keep reading to learn why these two factors affect your auto insurance rates.

Auto Insurance Quotes for Students

Children attending college have a greater need for their own car, as they will frequently attend school far away from their home and will need to be able to commute home as needed during the school year, as well as get around to classes or part time jobs while actually attending school. Many children who did not have their own car while attending high school after acquiring their license will acquire a car when they leave for college. When seeking auto insurance quotes for a college-aged child leaving to attend school, parents have many options to reduce their costs.

The first step when seeking auto insurance quotes for a college student in the family is for the parents to contact their current auto insurer to inquire about adding their child and car to the existing policy. Often the rates for adding a car and driver to a policy are much better than buying a wholly separate policy, especially if the parents themselves have a good driving record and are considered low-risk drivers themselves.

Risk is another aspect to keeping the auto insurance quotes for a new college student low. A younger driver with no record at all will be considered an at-risk driver until they have established otherwise, and a college student with tickets or accidents on their record from youthful indiscretions will pay the price in the form of higher insurance rates. However, this can be somewhat mitigated by maintaining good grades in school. Most insurance companies offer discounts for good grades, usually requiring a B average over a period of time. Transcripts can be supplied as proof and rates will be adjusted accordingly. In fact, many insurance companies offer other discounts for students that are not always so generally known. It pays to contact your agent or an agent of a competing company and ask what sorts of discounts are offered.

Another way to reduce the rates you get when seeking car insurance quotes for a college-aged student is to choose an older car that is not flashy or aggressive. Faster and newer cars in the hands of young people are considered higher risk by the insurers and are punished with higher rates. Even better is to not buy a car for your child at all but to simply list them as a secondary driver of the family car. Rates overall will go up, but much less than if the child is considered a separate risk with a separate car.

Obviously it is in the interests of any family to shop around. Staying with an existing insurer may be the most affordable option, but this can often be leveraged if you get a more attractive quote from another company and present it to your existing company. Rather than lose your business – and the additional business of your growing family – you may be offered a reduction in rates or other inducements to remain. The best approach is to do your research and see what options are available to you.